Texans' Demaryius Thomas caps emotional day with win over Broncos

Houston Texans wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (87) greeets his friends and family on the sidelines before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, in Denver. less

Houston Texans wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (87) greeets his friends and family on the sidelines before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, ... more

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff Photographer

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff Photographer

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Houston Texans wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (87) greeets his friends and family on the sidelines before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, in Denver. less

Houston Texans wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (87) greeets his friends and family on the sidelines before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, ... more

Sprinting off the field into the visitors' locker room, a joyful Thomas celebrated an unconventional homecoming with a 19-17 win over his old team. Traded to the Texans from the Denver Broncos last Tuesday. Thomas caught all three passes thrown to him for 61 yards.

“I think that was the fastest I ran all day,"Thomas said. "I ran inside. We got that ‘W’ and I was excited.”

Traded for a fourth-round draft pick in the middle of his ninth season in Denver, the five-time Pro Bowl selection had a lot of feelings attached to this game.

This was where he had called home for his entire NFL career only to be traded away abruptly by Broncos general manager John Elway.

Thomas was a game captain for the Texans during the coin toss.

"We wanted him to walk out there as a captain and we wanted him to walk off the field as a winner," Texans defensive end J.J. Watt said.

Thomas received a lengthy highlight video tribute. There was a huge banner with an image of him with the words, 'Thanks, D.T.'

“This whole thing has just been different, you know?" Thomas said. "It’s been weird and just different. Coming out of a different tunnel I’ve never come out of, being in a locker room that I’ve never been in, in the past eight or nine years.

"Seeing my guys warm up, seeing the guys come over and speak to me differently. The first time my family have ever been on the field and that was special also.”

Thomas didn't know all of the Texans' playbook, but he had absorbed as much as he could during an accelerated crash course.

During the fourth quarter, Thomas had a false start. He lined up incorrectly and had to ask Watson what to do, costing the Texans a timeout.

“Just direction and formation of different play, different signals some plays that, depending on what the play call is, is opposite," Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson said. "He was hearing one thing and ended up doing the opposite. I had to make sure he was on the same page as me. He did a good job. Some things we are going to fix.”

Thomas got what he wanted a win with his new teammates. It wasn't about revenge for him. It was about fitting in with his new team.

"I wanted to win badly, not for just me, but for the guys that have been working hard that won five in a row," Thomas said. "I messed up a couple of times, I felt like it would have been on me if we didn’t get this W.

"Especially at those times because it was third down and that was big. We came out, guys kept fighting, nobody pointed fingers, that play was over and we went to the next. It’s a good relief. I’m a part of a team that’s winning and that’s big. It’s not about me, it’s about us and that’s all that matters.”